Download The Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway Region and Its Possible

THE GREAT LAKES/ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND – SECONDARY
The Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway Region and
Its Possible Impact on the Atlantic Provinces
Lesson Overview:
This lesson is an analysis of the St. Lawrence River drainage system and its
terminus, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and then the Atlantic Ocean; and how
economic activity and resource utilization in one region may be affected by
activities, practices, and policies in another.
Grade Level:
Senior Geography
Time Required:
Two 60-minute periods
Curriculum Connection (Province and course):
Prince Edward Island: GEO 421A and GEO 431A: GEOGRAPHY OF CANADA
Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation curriculum for Social Studies:
INDIVIDUALS, SOCIETIES, AND ECONOMIC DECISIONS
GCO: Students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to make responsible
economic decisions as individuals and as members of society.
PEOPLE, PLACE, AND ENVIRONMENT
GCO: Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the
interactions among people, places, and the environment.
INTERDEPENDENCE
GCO: Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the
interdependent relationship among individuals, societies, and the environment—
locally, nationally, and globally—and the implications for a sustainable future.
Link to Canadian National Geography Standards:
Essential Element #1: The World in Spatial Terms
 Map, globe, and atlas use
Oceans Scope & Sequence Standard #1: The World in Spatial Terms
 Location and patterns of ocean characteristics
Essential Element #2: Places and Regions
 Physical and human processes shape places and regions
 Interdependence of places and regions
 Critical issues and problems of places and regions
 Regional analysis of geographic issues and questions
Canadian Council for Geographic Education (www.ccge.org)
Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
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THE GREAT LAKES/ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND – SECONDARY
Oceans Scope & Sequence Standard #2: Places and Regions
 Physical and human processes that shape the ocean and coasts
 Interdependence of land areas and the ocean
Essential Element #3: Physical Systems
 Components of Earth’s physical system
 Global ocean and atmospheric systems
Oceans Scope & Sequence Standard #3: Physical Systems
 Processes of ocean physical systems
Essential Element #4: Human Systems
 Population characteristics in world regions, country, and regions within
countries
 Demographic transition
Oceans Scope & Sequence Standard #4: Human Systems
 The role of oceans in economic development
 Global economic interdependence (regional ocean resources)
Essential Element #5: Environment and Society
 Global effects of human modification of the physical environment
 Global effects on the human environment by changes in the physical
environment
 Use and sustainability of resources
 Environmental issues
Oceans Scope & Sequence Standard #5: Environment and Society
 Human influences on a global scale (tragedy of the commons)
 Ocean policies and regulations
 Changes in world ocean resources and distribution over time
Essential Element #6: Uses of Geography
 Local, regional, and world policies and problems with spatial distribution
Geographic Skill #1: Asking Geographic Questions
 Plan and organize a geographic research project
Geographic Skill #2: Acquiring Geographic Information
 Systematically locate and gather geographic information from a variety of
primary and secondary sources
Geographic Skill #3: Organizing Geographic Information
 Select and design appropriate forms of maps to organize geographic
information
 Select and design appropriate forms of graphs, diagrams, tables, and
charts to organize geographic information
 Use a variety of media to develop and organize integrated summaries of
geographic information
Canadian Council for Geographic Education (www.ccge.org)
Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
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THE GREAT LAKES/ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND – SECONDARY
Geographic Skill #4: Analyzing Geographic Information
 Make inferences and draw conclusions from maps and other geographic
representations
Geographic Skill #5: Answering Geographic Questions
 Formulate valid generalizations from the results of various kinds of
geographic inquiries
Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required:
Reference maps of Canada, the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River System,
Atlantic Canada
Students and teachers will access the following web sites, therefore, a computer
lab or access to the Internet will be required. This lesson can be delivered as an
in-class lesson, or as a lesson within the computer lab.
 http://www.great-lakes.net/gis/maps/
 http://www.aquatic.uoguelph.ca/rivers/stlawr.htm
 http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/freshwater/distribution/drainage
 http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/CSL/inf/inf002_e.html
 http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/CSL/inf/inf002_04_e.html
 http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/CSL/inf/inf044_e.html
 http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/faune/biodiv/en/abiotic/bathy.html
Main Objective:
By working in cooperative groups, students will form an understanding of the
complexity of the St. Lawrence river drainage system and the effects that the
connections through the Great Lakes to the continent and its population densities
and resultant urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural practices has on the
Atlantic region which is the recipient of the water and its contents.
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Identify the Great Lakes on a map
Identify the St. Lawrence Seaway on a map.
Identify the Gulf of St. Lawrence on a map.
Identify relevant physical characteristics of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence
regions.
5. Understand the interdependence between these regions.
6. Understand the impact of the total region on the cities, towns, provinces
and states that border this region
7. Understand the effect of this region on areas that seem to be removed
from the effects of human interaction on this area by distance.
Canadian Council for Geographic Education (www.ccge.org)
Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
3
THE GREAT LAKES/ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND – SECONDARY
Lesson Development
Introduction
The Lesson:
Teacher Activity
Student Activity
The lesson opens with the teacher explaining a drainage
basin (what they are, what their purpose is) and
introducing a map to illustrate the drainage basins that
exist in Canada, illustrating the differences between each
and to outline to students the reasons why rivers and lakes
in specific areas of the country will only drain to specific
larger bodies of water.
Students will be given the map of the
drainage basins in Canada and will
be asked to illustrate the areas of the
country that drain into the major
bodies of water. They will also be
asked why these areas of the country
drain to these areas. The natural
geographic borders that cause this
will be highlighted on the map by the
class.
After the introduction to drainage systems, the lesson will
focus on the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes
System. From the establishment of the drainage system
for this system in the introduction, students will begin to
brainstorm ideas on the effects of drainage from a system
that is the transportation system for the Industrial
Heartland of Canada and the United States. The trickle
down effect from each of the Great Lakes and other major
waterways can be seen in the system profile, which is
illustrated here.
Students will be given the following
maps:
 http://www.aquatic.uoguelph.ca/r
ivers/stlawr.htm
 http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/ma
ps/freshwater/distribution/draina
ge
 http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/CSL/inf/i
nf002_e.html
 http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/CSL/inf/i
nf002_04_e.html
 http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/CSL/inf/i
nf044_e.html
 http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/faune/bio
div/en/abiotic/bathy.html
In designated groups, students will be
asked to: list major industries that
depend on the Great Lakes and the
St. Lawrence Seaway for its industrial
capacity. As well, students will be
asked to identify the major population
centers along the seaway.
The lesson will then focus on the St. Lawrence River,
specifically the terminus of the river, the Gulf of St.
Lawrence. The following maps should be used:
 Map 1
 Map 2
 Map 3
These maps will provide the focus of the lesson. At this
stage, students should understand that the Gulf of St.
Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean are the terminus for the
water that flows from the Great Lakes and the St.
Lawrence. As well, it should be noted that while efforts to
limit the harmful materials that enter the water supply are
better than in the 80’s and 90’s, not all hazardous
materials can be stopped.
The focus of day two should come from the material found
at http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/CSL/inf/inf044_e.html
Canadian Council for Geographic Education (www.ccge.org)
Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
Factors such as population density,
industrial capacity, and pressures on
the environment should be discussed
at this time. Students should
speculate on how unseen factors
impact on the environment of the
lakes/seaway region.
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THE GREAT LAKES/ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND – SECONDARY
Lesson Development
Students could be asked to assess
the impact on one or all of the
following:
 Major cities
 Types of industries
 Tributaries of the St.
Lawrence
 Identified pollutants and
concentrations
 Population Densities
 Statistical data re volume of
water
 Water depths in the two
regions
 Species landings
comparisons for specified
decades
Students will then focus on the
potential impacts that can occur to
the Atlantic provinces. Impacts on
economic development in industries
such as fishing and aquaculture,
environmental impacts and impacts
on the animal and human population
should be discussed.
Conclusion
The lesson will conclude through a presentation of
research and a brainstorming session of their findings.
Canadian Council for Geographic Education (www.ccge.org)
Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
Day two should focus on the
information found at
http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/CSL/inf/inf044
_e.html. The potential destruction that
can come from the overuse of
pesticide and how it impacts the
environment should be discussed. At
the end of this sheet, students should
be asked to speculate how this can
be controlled, given the farming and
industrial uses for pesticides and
herbicides in the region.
Groups can present their information
in any format/medium. How can
Atlantic Canada affect changes in the
Industrial Heartland and the policies
of the states and provinces involved,
especially seeing that Atlantic
Canada is on the North American
periphery and has a small population
base? Brainstorm and share answers
with the class. Discussion and debate
is encouraged re local, regional, and
global stewardship.
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THE GREAT LAKES/ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND – SECONDARY
Assessment of Student Learning:
Students will be assessed through the completion of a worksheet, which is
attached to the end of this lesson.
Group presentations
Lesson Extension:
Hypothesize whether or not the quality of the fresh water ending up in the marine
habitats of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Grand Banks may or may not have
been one of the contributing factors to species degradation in this region,
resulting in reduced landings of salmon and the moratorium on cod.
Speculate as to where all these pollutants eventually go. (e.g. into the Atlantic
Ocean, into the global ocean systems, into our bodies etc.)
The Five Themes of Geography are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Location
Place
Human/Environment Interaction
Movement
Region
1. LOCATION (Absolute and relative): Location answers the basic question;
“Where?” Absolute and relative locations are two ways of describing the positions
of the Earth’s physical and cultural features. A grid system representing the
latitude and longitude is one way of showing absolute locations. Another way of
looking at location has to do with the interaction of places. This is a relative
location e.g. the way a river connects to other places.
The Greats Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway can be described in both absolute and
relative terms. Provide a description of this area using absolute and relative
location.
2. PLACE (Physical and human characteristics): All places on Earth have special
features that distinguish them from other places. Geographers usually describe
places by their physical and human characteristics.
As a physical and human place on earth, describe the place that the Great
Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway maintains. Be as specific as possible.
3. HUMAN/ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION (Relationships within places):
People interact with their environments and change them in different ways, for
example, the large-scale agricultural development in Ontario and in the St.
Lawrence Lowlands. But such change has a price: the region’s water supply is
under pressure from the amounts of pesticides from farm run-off. Geographers
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THE GREAT LAKES/ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND – SECONDARY
examine how human/environment interactions develop and what their
consequences are for people and the landscape.
The Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway also has become the transportation
system for the industrial heartland of North America with its huge populations and
supporting infrastructure. It accepts travel from trading partner countries,
however, this has caused environmental trouble for the water system and for the
countries it borders, Canada and the United States. Explore the impact on the
following:
1. The Great Lakes
2. The St. Lawrence River
3. The Gulf of St. Lawrence
4. Fishing and aquaculture in the Atlantic Provinces and Quebec.
4. MOVEMENT (Movement of people, goods, and ideas): People everywhere
interact. They travel from place to place, they communicate, and they depend
upon other people in distant places for products, ideas, and information. A good
example of movement exists in the highly urbanized Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence
Seaway corridor from Hamilton, Ontario, to Montreal, Quebec. Here people can
take a train, drive, or fly from one city to another. Farmers efficiently send their
products to restaurants and supermarkets by trucks and trains. Shipping is easy
through the St. Lawrence River and its access to the Atlantic Ocean. Geography
helps us understand the nature and effects of such movement.
What is the benefit of this corridor to the people of the Atlantic Provinces? Map
the major transportation routes and connections.
REGION (How they form and change): Regions are areas on the surface of the
Earth that are defined by certain unifying characteristics. These characteristics
may be physical, or they may be human. Regions provide an organized way to
study Earth’s landscapes and peoples. The St. Lawrence River Drainage System
is an example of a physical region.
What other specific unifying characteristics might unite them into a region?
How does the Great Lakes/Gulf of St. Lawrence Region unify the people who live
it here? Is there a tangible identity formed from those who use and exploit the
region? Are the factors that unify them enough to supersede other regional
factors? Because of certain defining characteristics might one region feel that its
interests may be of more importance than another region that may be affected by
its attributes and activities?
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Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
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